Facing the Music
by sasha1600
Summary: Part of my 'Lessons' series. Tag to 'About Face'. Gibbs told Jimmy to 'stay'.  He didn't.  Warning: spanking of an adult.  Don't like?  Don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Facing the Music**

**Summary: **Part of my 'Lessons' series. Tag to 'About Face'. Gibbs told Jimmy to 'stay'. He didn't. **Warning:** spanking of an adult. Don't like? Don't read!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I just play with them.

* * *

><p>AN: This is part of my 'Lessons' series and builds on a larger plot arc. This is a tag to 'About Face' and begins later the same day as the final scene of that episode.

This is a gift for KlairI, with thanks.

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: This story contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.<strong>

* * *

><p>Jimmy worked as quickly as he could, efficiently tidying up Autopsy for the evening. Dr. Mallard was still upstairs talking to Abby about some of the evidence, and he didn't dare leave until the ME returned, but he hoped he'd be dismissed as soon as possible after he got back.<p>

He definitely wanted to get out of here before Agent Gibbs came looking for him.

The senior agent was scary enough at the best of times. Jimmy had a hard time stringing a sentence together in his presence without stuttering – and the few times he'd managed to blurt something out without stumbling over his words, he'd said something so idiotic that it had still resulted in those blue eyes being turned towards him with a look that made his blood run cold. The expression on the older man's face when he'd slapped the window of the car out at that trailer park had been horrifying, and even that had been mild compared to the way he'd looked after the crash. He really didn't want to face him again tonight.

Especially since Gibbs had promised that they would be 'discussing' his actions this afternoon, and he had a pretty good idea what he meant by 'discussion'. He'd only experienced Gibbs's discipline once before, but it was enough for him to know that the window wasn't going to be the only thing getting swatted. And it was more than enough for him to know that that was something he wanted to avoid for as long as possible.

If he was really honest with himself, though, there had been something other than just anger in Gibbs's face earlier. It had been the kind of angry concern that he remembered seeing on his parents' faces when he was a kid. Like when he'd set his bedroom curtains on fire with his chemistry set. And when he'd brought home the snarling raccoon with the broken foot.

And Gibbs had been gentle when he'd handed him the tissues to wipe his bloody nose. And he'd seemed almost... _nice_... about his self-doubts earlier in the day. It was freaking him out. If it had been Tony, he could have dismissed the unexpected kindness as a lead-up to some sort of joke, but it didn't seem like Gibbs's style to pretend to be nice just to humiliate him more later.

His thoughts were cut off by the swish of the doors. He turned, his mouth already open to ask if he could leave for the day. The words died on his lips when he saw that it hadn't been the kindly ME entering the room. For a long moment he simply stood there, gaping. Finally, he stammered out an explanation that Dr. Mallard was with Abby, and was met with a raised eyebrow and small smile.

'Yeah, Palmer, I know. C'mon, let's get this over with.'

He found himself being propelled towards the desk that stood at one end of the room, his elbow held firmly. Finding his voice, he started to protest.

'You deliberately disobeyed a direct order and put yourself in danger. You really think I'm just going to ignore that?'

'I'm sorry, I should have listened... I won't... I'll never disobey you again... I... please...'

He knew he was babbling, but he couldn't help himself.

'Dammit, Palmer, you could have been killed out there! What were you thinking?'

To his horror, the older man reached for his belt, unbuckling it and drawing it from its loops with an ominous swish. He knew that Gibbs whipped his agents with his belt, but it hadn't occurred to him that the same thing would happen to him. He wasn't an agent. He...

'Bend over.'

'No... please... I don't want... I'm not...'

'You pretty much unilaterally joined my team, Palmer. And you knew full well how I manage my team. So, I don't think it's unfair for me to treat you the way I'd treat any member of my team who pulled a stunt like that.'

'But... I...'

'Bend over,' Gibbs repeated.

Jimmy stared at him miserably for a long moment before slowly turning to face the desk and bending slightly at the waist. He had no desire to do this, but the senior agent's matter-of-fact demeanour seemed to compel compliance. And he couldn't honestly disagree with his assessment of the situation.

A hand on his back pushed him gently downwards, and he found himself sprawled across the desk and held firmly in place. He screwed his eyes shut and gulped frantically for air, fighting down a wave of sheer terror.

'Jethro, I'd thank you to take your hands off my assistant.'

In his panic, he hadn't heard the doors opening again, and the steely words were entirely unexpected. He glanced over his shoulder, his relief plainly visible on his face. But, to his dismay, Gibbs's hand stayed on his back, keeping him firmly pinned to the desk.

'He damn near got himself killed, Duck.'

'I know. And I assure you that I...'

'He disobeyed _me_, Ducky.'

'And he's _my_ assistant. I shall deal with this, Jethro,' the ME insisted.

The pressure on his back was finally removed and he sprang upright, quickly putting as much distance as possible between himself and Gibbs. Gibbs and Ducky were exchanging a look that he couldn't interpret, but, at the moment, he didn't care. Ducky would lecture him interminably, but at least he was safe from being spanked.

With a final parting nod, Gibbs finally headed towards the door, and Jimmy turned towards his mentor, ready to face the music. To his surprise, he saw that Ducky was reaching for his coat.

'Go home, Mr. Palmer. We will address your foolhardy behaviour in the morning.'

Relieved, Jimmy made a hasty exit.


	2. Chapter 2

Ducky winced slightly at the ear-splitting music that poured from the forensics lab, and only got louder when the door swished open at his approach. Undeterred, he took a few steps forward and glanced around at the many workstations, looking for Abby.

'Abigail!' he called out loudly, hoping to be heard over the pulsating noise. He had to call her a second time before she crawled out from under a bank of equipment, a small screwdriver in one hand. A few seconds later, the volume blessedly decreased and she turned towards him, still holding the remote for the stereo.

'Ducky, I don't have those results for you yet!' she said, gesticulating at the apparently malfunctioning device. 'I needed to fix...'

'That's quite alright, my dear. I'm here on an entirely unrelated matter. I find myself in need of your expert advice.'

'Ok...' she began, apparently surprised. 'How can I help, Duckster?'

Deciding not to comment on the variation of his nickname, he quickly explained what he wanted. Her eyes grew wide as she processed the request, and it took her a moment to respond.

'Oh. Uh... oh. Ok. What made you think I would...' She suddenly stopped herself, looking down at her Goth attire and flushing slightly. 'Ok. Uh... well... there's a store over on...' she began, giving him directions. 'They should have one.'

'Thank you, my dear. I am in your debt.'

He spun on his heel and strode swiftly towards the door, wanting to accomplish his errand before the shop closed for the evening. Although, given the nature of the store in question, it would probably stay open quite late, he mused.


	3. Chapter 3

Jimmy took a deep breath and stepped resolutely through the doors. Dr. Mallard could be scathing with his lectures, and he had no doubt that he was about to endure several hours of blistering comments about his lack of good sense.

'Ah, Mr. Palmer. I trust Agent Gibbs did a sufficient job of explaining why your behaviour yesterday was so egregious? Or do we have to discuss the matter further?'

He couldn't be that lucky, could he?

'Uh, yes. I mean, no. I mean, I think it was already talked about enough,' he stammered, trying to keep his voice casual, but pretty sure he didn't succeed. He turned away to hang up his coat, hoping to conceal his relief. He didn't want the ME to think he wasn't taking this seriously enough, or he would be getting a longer lecture. Making sure he wasn't smiling, he turned back around, only to freeze in shock at the sight of the wooden implement in his supervisor's hand.

'Right, then, let's get this over with, shall we?'

Time seemed to grind to a halt. He didn't reply... couldn't reply. And despite his overwhelming desire to turn and flee, he couldn't convince his feet to work.

'Now, Mr. Palmer, if you please.'

The matter-of-fact tone, the expectation of compliance, finally snapped him out of his daze and he staggered backwards until he hit the wall.

'No. Nonononono. No way. You can't...'

'Oh, I assure you, I can. And I shall.'

'But... that's... I can't...'

Jimmy gestured helplessly towards the older man's hand, unable to put his fears into words.

'Generations of schoolboys have survived such a chastisement, Mr. Palmer, and so will you. Now, come. Making a fuss is not going to make it any easier...'

Jimmy found himself taken firmly by the arm and guided towards the same desk that had been the scene of his believed rescue the night before. His thoughts reeling, his heart pounding wildly, he allowed himself to be returned to his prone position.

His last coherent thought before a blaze of pain drove everything else from his mind was that he should have just let Gibbs punish him last night.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony reacted entirely on instinct, his hand moving automatically to his empty hip where his gun, tucked away in his desk upstairs, would usually be. He was halfway to the stairwell when Abby's frantic shouting stopped him. Turning, he saw that Tim was equally startled by the unexpected shriek. Abby, however, apparently didn't think there was anything to worry about, and he looked expectantly at her, waiting for an explanation.

Before she could do more than open her mouth, a second, louder scream pierced the silence of the lab. Abby hadn't even been there long enough to turn her usual music on before Tim and Tony had arrived, pleading with her to give them some results before a crankier-than-usual Gibbs decided he needed to find them something 'useful' to do while they waited. But, apparently, she knew what was going on, despite just arriving, and he gestured impatiently for her to fill them in. Beside him, Tim shifted uneasily, glancing over his shoulder towards the stairwell, clearly concerned.

'It's just Palmer being punished. You know, for yesterday...'

Tony blinked in surprise, just as a third wail could be heard. They'd left Gibbs upstairs, and he didn't think that Palmer even got spanked when he screwed up.

'Gibbs is...?' he began, a sceptical eyebrow betraying his doubts.

'No. Ducky insisted on taking care of it himself.'

'That's _Ducky_?' Tim squawked, clearly shocked by the idea that the mild-mannered gentleman was spanking his assistant.

A fourth anguished cry, this one understood, made him wince. He didn't like to say anything; after all, he wasn't particularly quiet himself when Gibbs took the strap to him, and the probie had even puked before his first spanking. But, jeez... Autopsy wasn't even on the same floor as them!

'Ow!'

The yelp was closer this time, and he turned to find Tim rubbing his shoulder.

'What?'

'Don't you make that face!'

'But...'

'I'd like to see you be any quieter if you were being caned!'

Palmer's fifth shout of pain was almost drowned out by Tony's and Tim's exclamations.

'Ducky has a _cane_?' Tim choked.

'Well, he does now. He asked me last night where he could buy one...'

Tim looked innocently confused. Tony shuddered, not wanting the mental image of Ducky in a sex shop, browsing the BDSM aisle, looking for a cane to use on the autopsy gremlin.

A sixth yell, even louder, unbelievably, than the others, apparently signalled the end to the conversation. Abby spun in place and reached for the remote that controlled her music.

'Well, that's over,' she declared, scrolling through her playlist and choosing a (relatively) subdued track.

'How do you...'

'Ducky's British.'

'And?'

'Tony! British. Schoolboy. Cane. Six of the best. You're the movie buff! Keep up!'

Tony rubbed at his shoulder, suspecting he'd have a bruise where Abby had punched him. He'd been carefully trying _not_ to think of the caning scenes he'd seen in movies. And he was very glad not to have been in Palmer's place himself.

'You don't think he'd...' he began, not entirely sure he wanted the answer to the half-asked question.

'Use it on you?' Abby helpfully filled in, making the blood visibly drain from Tim's face. 'I don't really see Ducky not just turning you over to Gibbs...'

He exchanged a wary look with Tim.

'No, I meant would he... ummm... you know... let Gibbs borrow...'

Tim croaked, staring at him with undisguised horror.

He was mildly annoyed when Abby started to giggle.

'Oh, I think you're safe,' she said. 'It's not really that common, here, is it? I don't think it would even occur to Gibbs to use a _cane_!'


End file.
